TYPICAL SHRAPNEL

Obviously the most comman shared quality of a Shrapnel is that they are all either full conversion cyborgs, or at the very least extremely heavily augmented.  However they come from a wide variety of background and professions.  While its true that most of Shrapnel’s members were at some point employed in a high risk profession, such as construction, police, or military work, and that is where they received their bodies, there have also been corporate executives, mechanics, even a schoolteacher.

Strong feelings of alienation and a desire to come to grips with their new body are another unifying cause of the group.  While most wish to re-integrate into society and return to a semblance of normalcy, some members merely wish to get a handle on their strained mental health before returning to whatever field brought them here.  Still others join Shrapnel because they are trapped in the zone, wanted and hunted outside, and Shrapnel offers sanctuary.

While some join Shrapnel for the long haul, most members are temporary, staying for about a year to 6 months.  The apartment building they claim has a total of 100 rooms, The most that have ever been filled by members at once was half that, with a usual population of about 20 to 25..

Being made up entirely of full conversion cyborgs, most of the time Shrapnel has little use for firearms, and typically do not carry them.  However every member is trained in at least basic firearm safety and use.

It may seem odd, but a large portion of Shrapnel activity is dedicated to the surrounding community at large.  Not just in terms of security, although Shrapnel territory is considered one of the safest in the Zone, perhaps even surpassing Bushido, but also in public works.  Members of Shrapnel are often seen helping community members repair their homes and businesses, giving aid to the homeless and sick, and even acting as emergency service responders.  If there is a fire that breaks out, or traffic accident, Shrapnel is often on the scene doing what they can.  They also work with clean up crews after gang altercations, though with the exception of keeping violence off the streets in their own small territory they opt to stay completely out of the affairs of other gangs. 

Maintaining a sense of neutrality is important to Shrapnel, and while they except any Full conversion to ask for their help, they require that anyone who joins Shrapnel cut all gang affiliations while a member.

The police not being fools, do not entire the Zone with anything less than a full Swat Unit, and even then it’s a rare occurrence.  Whenever a cyberpsycho goes on a rampage in the Zone, which occurs more often there than any other area of the city due to ripperdocs and the criminal element, the police do not respond.  In these instances, Shrapnel is one of the few groups in the zone capable of handling the threat.  This is the main reason every member undergoes weapons training.

Neither the group themselves nor the community view Shrapnel as a guardian gang, despite the good they do for the community.  They care little for petty crimes or drugs, and they let gangs move without challenge through their territory.  Instead Shrapnel only concerns itself with violence as if it erupts in their area they will garner the attention of City Center, who are already nervous at their mere existence.  The public works and services they provide are merely to maintain peace and provide stability, as opposed to having every gun in the Combat Zone, gang related and civilian alike, turned in their direction.

Written By Deric Bernier, (with gangs and locations created by R. Talsorian Games, Atlas Games, Interface Magazine, and Iaunus Games). Images from Deric Bernier, R. Talsorian Games, Interface, Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Warriors of the 21st Century, Transmetropolitan, Afro Samurai, Mazinger, The Last Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Black Samurai, Double Dragon, Capcom, Virtua Fighter, Streetfighter, Tekken, King Of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Fist Of The North Star, Red Alert, Dead End Drive-In, Shadowrun, Reklamation, Cyborg OEDO, Metro, Borderlands, Clockwork Orange, The Hills Have Eyes, Below Zero, Fallen Earth, Deadlands: Hell On Earth, Rifts, Gurps, The Barbarians, Rage, Fallout, Weird Science, Netrunner, Cyberpunk CCG, Marvel Comics, Ultimates, Tron, Cowboy Bebop, Android, Mafia Wars, Deus Ex, DC Comics, Shazam, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost In The Shell, Appleseed, Breaker, Breaker: New Waves, Parasite Dolls, AD Police, Circuitry Man, Purge, Crimecraft, Saints Row, Grand Theft Auto, Star Wars, Crude buster, Two Crude Dudes, Road Avenger, Renegade, All Points Bulletin, C.O.P.S., Bionic Commando, Negative Burn, Wildcats, Superman, Neon Cyber, Darkminds, Megazone 23, Wolverine, X-men, The Warriors, Streets Of Fire, Class Of 1984, Class of 1999, Karate Warrior, Metal Gear, 2020 Visions, Bubblegum Crisis, Bubblegum Crash, Mortal Kombat, Crime Life, Fast And The Furious, GI Joe, Earthrise, The Club, The Suffering, Machete, Desperado, Blood In Blood Out, Mi Vida Loca, Brazil, City Of God, Crank, Falling Down, Gang City, Akira, Army Of One, NYC Mech, Brink, Set It Off, Assault On Precinct 13, Glen and Randal, Brawling Bouncers, Bitch Slap, Nemesis, Suckerpunch, Batman, Wasteland Empires, What If, Terminator, Resident Evil, Warlands, Exterminators 3000, Burning Man, Weapon Brown, Urban Warriors, Hard Boiled, Arachnophobia, Fallen Skies, Land Of The Dead, Empty Zone, Training Day, Big Trouble In Little China, Tank Girl, The New Barbarians, Gangs Of new York, Back To The Future 2, Savage Tales, Appleseed, Ride To Hell, Solar Babies, Spy Hunter, Metro 2033, Cyberspace, Road Warrior Weekend, Road War, D20 Future, D20 Apocalypse, Dethkillers, Massive Black, Twilight 2000,Adam Warren, Raben AAS, Wry1, Dmitrys, Adam Hughes, Quellion, Bordon,Timur Mutsaev, Cellfaces, Aleksi, Francis001, Gasket,Shiramune, Endo 74, Aaron Beck, Mohzart, Livingrope, Dingo107, Nanavuut,, Jani Hamalainen, Clement_Suave, Kishin007, Roboto_Kun, Quiros, JesserZZZ, NekoxxxNightmare, Josuhemaiz, AkaiSoul, Xadhoom, Carlos Cavalcante, Matt Bradbury, Akuma_Motarasutsumi, Bristow Bailey, Moongrape, N_Mel, Kieron Gillen, Angelero, Likodemus, Dead Dreamer, ShelestovV, LostSoulsArt, Riq, Dave Allsop, OmeN2501, Techtonic, Raven1303, Kazroth, Unhappy_Girl, Rosien_HoH, DOQ_666, The_A_Factory, den89, ichitakaseto-d3fwrw4, SC4V3NG3R, Ricochet188, Viviane, KFoster, Superhawkins, Jager375, Shed2602, Vinicius Menezes, Juhoham, Rubin Cubiles, Bstart, Raultrevino, Johnjackman, Chiara Pasquini, Dweller, RodoxDesign, Lethorgius, Ilog, Grusborg, Chow120, Tom Baxa, Pushpinder Singh, The Elysian, Misterho, Adonihs, Jasson, AKnox, Obeythekiwi, Andree Wallin, Fuchsiart, Garang76, Spiral Dance Studio, Dingo107, Nick Egberts, Acidlullaby, Orellana, Photoport, Wyldekarde, Knightwatch, Zalas, Mothbot, Horrified Survivor, WarmGunMod, Salemburn, Avonius, Avalonfilth, Wildlifehoodoo, Raetjor, Cellar, Skam4, Grinch_7, Patc_14, Echo_x, Bqw-d4822kt, Nickykcin, Scruffyronin, Poibuts, Archipelo, Maria William, Adonhis, A. Baldasseroni, Britnerfmogul, Udoncrew, Artbytheo, Luis Royo, Richard Daborn, atomhawk, Jaime Jones, Jan Ditlev, El Pinoy, Chonastock, Other Unicorn, Joe Clucher, Jacobcharlesdietz, Tim Okamura, Ghostronix, Psychofish, Polaris Pirate, Storm X, Januszwyrzykowski, Brokenhill, Bokuman, The Vigil, Tariq12, Lazeedog, Idomuchris, Remichan, Timur Mutsaev, Joe Leder, Johan Bergstrom, madmaxmovies.com, Humvee driver, Laurent, Barry Harker, and various other unknown films, anime, comics, artists, and car customizers.

For questions, complaints, criticisms and suggestions, e-mail the author:wisdom000@gmail.com